I gather my nerve, and with my free hand, pull my panties down. I try to cover myself so quickly I nearly smack my own lady business. I hurry over to the tub and slide into the water.
It’s warm and lovely, the jets hitting my muscles just right. I let out a sigh, both from the pressure of the jets and from the relief of having my body hidden under the water.
He’s still looking at me with that expression of reverence, his gaze almost too intense. I fight the urge to sink beneath the water like a panicked otter.
“Say something.”
“You are devastating.”
My heart trips. “In a good way?”
“In averygood way.”
A thought comes to mind. It’s silly and I know it. But I say it anyway.
“So. Truth or dare?”
CHAPTER 6
AMALIE
“You can’t be serious.”
I shrug. “Hey, it’s something to pass the time.”
The truth of the matter is I’m nervous of what might happen if the silence stretches too long. Truth or dare might be just enough to keep things light.
“You’re the one who loosened me up with this vodka. It’s your fault.”
He cocks his head to the side, looking at the glass. “You’ve barely touched it.”
“What can I say? I’m a lightweight.”
Another deep chuckle. “Fine. Truth or dare it is. In that case… truth.”
I don’t think. I just blurt it out. “Are the rumors true?”
“There are many rumors about me. You’ll have to be more specific than that.”
“People say you’re in the Russian mob or at least connected. They say you’ve done bad things.”
A long moment passes. Long enough that I start to wonder if I really screwed up by asking him that question.
Finally he speaks one single word. “Bratva.”
“What?”
“Bratva. That’s what I’m a part of. It means brotherhood. It’s a world. A system. A code.”
I take a second to digest this. “And you’re telling me about it? Just like that?”
He nods. “You’re in my life now. You should know. And my membership in the organization is hardly a secret. You’ve heard the rumors, after all.”
“Why?”
“Because my father was. And his father was. But I hope my son will never be a part of it.”
The next question slips out of my mouth before I can stop it. “Have you ever killed anyone?”
